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Welcome to our blog! We are a husband and wife photography team serving the Knoxville, TN area and beyond. This is where we share our weddings and sessions, tips and tricks, and a few personal snippets every now and then! We hope you enjoy!

We're Usbec & Sheree

welcome to the blog

Why Have an Engagement Session

There are many reasons we include our engagement sessions complementary in our packages and I want to tell you those reasons today! We work with a lot of out of town couples, I mean A LOT!! And we’re always asked, “Is it necessary to have an engagement session?”. The answer is a huge YES!! We know, especially for destination weddings, that it can be difficult to plan an engagement session when you don’t live in the same area as your wedding photographer, but here are our top reasons why you might want to make it a priority!

1. You get to have a date night!

This one is kind of simple, but also important. All couples need regular date nights! If you’re engaged, it can be so refreshing to take a night to get away from the wedding planning. Get all dressed up, have your photos taken where you’ll get to cuddle and love on each other, and then go out for dinner and movie! It’s fun and relaxing and probably needed! 🙂 If you’re located out of town – no problem!! You may need it even more so! The majority of our out of town couples have decided to do their engagement session the week of the wedding when they get into town. And all of them have told us how much they enjoyed it and how it was a chance to slow down and forget about the stress of the week. So, even if you’re planning a destination wedding, scheduling an engagement session the week of your wedding can be so beneficial!

2. You get a chance to meet us before the wedding day!

We may or may not have met at a consultation before you booked (most of our couples book through email without meeting us first) but having an engagement session allows you to get to know us better! You get to see what it’s like to be in front of our cameras and get comfortable with us. This is SO beneficial because then, when we see you on your wedding day, it feels like we’re good friends coming to spend your day with you!

3. We get a chance to meet you before the wedding day!

When we get to have an engagement session with you before your big day, we’re able to get to know you and know what you’re like as a couple. Do you like to laugh and joke a lot? Are you more serious and romantic? Are you super affectionate or only a little? Knowing these things about you and seeing your dynamic as a couple allows us to know what posing will work best for you and allows us to know what to say or do to bring out the best smiles and candid moments.

4. You get to learn the posing!

The first 10-15 minutes or so of any engagement session is spent going over posing. And YES! You get photos from that time. We’ll teach you some of our core poses, but we’ll also give you tips during that time on what to do during any other poses. We’ll teach your guy how to “nuzzle”. We’ll teach you how, why, and when to “pop” your leg, etc. It’s all super easy! But it is stuff that takes up some time. So, when we’re able to have an engagement session, you get to learn everything there. Then on the wedding day, you’re already pros and we’re able to jump right in and get started! Couples who have an engagement session with us receive at least 50% (if not more) MORE bride and groom portraits on their wedding day than couples who don’t have an engagement session! PLUS those photos are more genuine, more joyful, and more “you” than they would have been without an engagement session because you’re more comfortable and confident in front of our cameras.

Ready to book your engagement session?? We serve the Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, TN areas and beyond! We love to travel! Contact us HERE to book your session!